


And you owe me dinner

by Codango



Series: Sitting in the street [7]
Category: Free!
Genre: Coffee, Exes, First Dates, Flirting, M/M, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-16
Updated: 2014-10-16
Packaged: 2018-02-21 11:10:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2466137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Codango/pseuds/Codango
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“It’s not going to bite, Tachibana.” </p><p>Makoto glared at the dark-haired police officer before he sat down. “It’s not the coffee I’m worried about. What are you doing in uniform anyway?” He dropped himself into the booth and crossed his arms. He was sullen, and he was going to look it, dammit. “If I’d known this was going to be formal, I’d have come in my bunker gear.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	And you owe me dinner

A steaming black coffee was waiting at the booth’s empty seat.

Makoto eyed it as he shrugged out of his coat.

“It’s not going to bite, Tachibana.”

Makoto glared at the dark-haired police officer before he sat down. “It’s not the coffee I’m worried about. What are you doing in uniform anyway?” He dropped himself into the booth and crossed his arms. He was sullen, and he was going to look it, dammit. “If I’d known this was going to be formal, I’d have come in my bunker gear.”

A muscle flexed in Sousuke’s jaw, then he flashed a grin. “Damn. Sorry I missed that.”

Makoto took a sip of coffee to avoid having to look at the man. “I try not to wear them out. I get too many phone numbers.”

Sousuke leaned forward. “Aw. You would have endured that for me if I’d asked?”

Makoto narrowed his eyes. “Why are you in uniform?” _Not. Not falling for this. Not. Won’t._

Sousuke sat back. “Working today. I have half an hour.”

 _Oh._ “Well. Then you’ll have to spit out whatever’s on your mind quickly.”

Sousuke took a leisurely sip of his espresso. “Does Haru roast his own beans?”

 _Sigh._ “Sousuke —”

“Oh, I was wondering when we’d get back to that.” Sousuke saluted him with his mug. “Nice to see you again, Makoto.”

There were days when Makoto wished he didn’t blush so easily. Most days, actually.

“Heh. Haven’t grown out of that, huh.” Sousuke rather obviously let his eyes take in Makoto’s flannel shirt rolled up at the elbows, stretched tight across his shoulders. “Looks like you grew out of other things though. I recognize that shirt.”

“Uugh.” Makoto could feel the heat on his ears now. “Could you dial back the flirting please?” _Or I’m going to have zero control over where this conversation goes, and yanking you across the table by that uniform of yours is not what I need to be doing in life._

Sousuke raised an eyebrow. “Stating a fact, Makoto. You’re out of practice if you think this is flirting.” He looked at him over his mug. “Want lessons?”

“Augh.” Makoto faceplanted on the table, more to hide his face than anything. “Sousuke.” He turned his head to look up at him reproachfully. “What the hell do you want?”

“What do I want.” Sousuke set his cup down. “I want… to say, glad to see you’re doing well.”

“... thank you?” _That better damn well not be all you’re going to say._

“Welcome to Tokyo.”

Makoto dropped his gaze. “I never left.”

“Then welcome to the neighborhood. You just moved, right?”

“Oh. Well, yes.”

Sousuke nodded. “Because Haru’s here?”

Makoto sat up and frowned. “I’m here because of work, Sousuke. It’s awesome that Rin and Haru live nearby, but this is a really difficult station to transfer into. It’s a great opportunity.”

“Hey, congratulations.” Sousuke spread his hands in surrender. “I’m sure you’re serious about your career.”

 _Punk._ “Let’s talk about you.” Makoto gestured to the uniform across the table from him. “This is the job you left college for?”

Sousuke just looked at him for a moment without saying anything. Finally, “Yes and no.”

Makoto bit his lip. _You’ve got no right to pry. He doesn’t owe you anything._ So why was his gut twisting?

“All right.” Sousuke ran a hand over his face. “Story time.” He opened his mouth but shut it again quickly.

“If… look, if it’s… you don’t have to,” Makoto said quietly.

“Oh come on, this is why we’re here, isn’t it?” Sousuke laughed humorlessly. “I tell you how I got here, you tell me how you got here, and…” he trailed off.

Makoto hugged an arm. _And. And what?_

“Mine actually won’t take that long.” Sousuke crossed his arms, and Makoto bit his tongue. That gesture had been impressive in high school and _now_. “Freshman year, my dad found out I was gay. The message was ‘come home, run the family business.’ Literally straighten up.”

Makoto stared at him. “You — you never said _anything_ —”

“Yeah, well, I’ve never been what you’d call fabulous at telling people when things aren’t going the way I want them to.” Sousuke paused. Then, “So, yeah, went home, helped with the family business. Until Dad and I figured out we couldn’t work together at all.”

He laughed, but Makoto felt his eyes sting.

“Well, you know I always liked law, so this seemed like the best — hey.”

Makoto gulped when Sousuke met his eyes. “Hey,” Sousuke repeated, his voice quiet. “Don’t look like that. It’s all okay now.”

Makoto cleared his throat. Tried for a casual shrug, didn’t trust himself to speak. _Must have… been a really shitty five years though._ He clenched a fist under the table. _And I didn’t know any of that. Would that have made a difference?_

“See? I’m fine.” Sousuke gestured to his trim uniform.

Makoto nearly choked on his own tongue.

“Okay, that was bad,” Sousuke agreed. “Your turn.”

“Ah.” Makoto stared at the table. _I was a mess? I missed you? For so long._ “I, ah, I guess I did get influenced a bit by Rin and Haru. Well, they went the jobs route like you did — and they seemed so happy. And.” _And university was lonely. And miserable. And I just wanted to start_ doing _something already._ “And I just wanted to start doing something. Already.” He looked up, hoping the old anxieties weren’t resurfacing on his face. “So I started volunteering at a station while I tried to decide if I wanted to drop out or finish the degree.”

Sousuke was studying him closely. “And you dropped out.”

Makoto clenched his jaw. Their college fight seemed to be practically sitting on the table between them like a short, stupid little monster. “I did,” he admitted. _No point in hiding._ “I made it through my junior year.”

Sousuke narrowed his eyes. Makoto forced himself to meet his gaze. _If he tells me ‘I told you so,’ I will not react. I will take it, I’ll…_

“You happy?”

Makoto’s eyes went wide. “I… well, sure, yeah, I think so. Generally?”

Sousuke smirked. “That’s a shit answer.”

“Yeah? You’re overjoyed with your life daily, hm?” Makoto gave his customary brilliant smile, but there was an edge behind it.

“My birthday’s next week.”

Makoto gaped at the change of subject, but Sousuke was sipping his coffee nonchalantly.

“And you owe me dinner.”

“I… I _what?_ ” Makoto tried very hard not to shriek. He was an adult, after all.

“You dropped out of college,” Sousuke pointed out, “after lecturing me when I did. The least you can do is buy my birthday dinner.”

 _There’s the ‘I told you so.’_ But, strangely, horribly, Makoto heard himself say, “Well. Well, _fine_ if you’re that desperate for company on your birthday. I get to pick where though.”

Sousuke grinned and pulled a couple bills from his wallet. He threw them on the table as he stood. “Thursday then. But you knew that.”

Makoto watched that fine, fine ass walk out the café’s door.

_Wait. What just happened?_

 

**Author's Note:**

> I know. I want to give these guys more hot scenes too, but these boys have *issues* to work through. First things first. We'll get to the sexy stuff next time, promise ;)
> 
> [@codango](http://codango.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr
> 
> [Marcella Christie](http://marcellachristie.com/) for my alter ego


End file.
